Chapter 7: Bad Memories
Highway 67 North
San Diego County, California
2:30 PM
CSIs Nick Stokes, Kyle Ellis, Bobbi Flannery, and Morgan Brody rode in a department-issued silver 2015 GMC Yukon SUV headed toward Borrego Springs, California. Nick was driving and Kyle sat in the passenger seat while Bobbi and Morgan sat in the backseat. Meanwhile, San Diego Police Detective Rena Valdez followed close behind them in her unmarked white 2015 Dodge Charger police car.
"Hey Bobbi?" Nick asked without taking his eyes off the road.
"Yeah?" Bobbi replied from the backseat.
"I don't think I asked you before", Nick said, "How's your sister doing these days?"
"She's doing really well", Bobbi replied, "Thanks for asking. She's married with three sons now. She works as a social worker for the school system in El Cajon."
"Good to hear", Nick said before turning his attention to Morgan, "How about you, Morgan? How's the old man?"
"He resigned as Sheriff and moved down to Florida to be closer to his girlfriend", Morgan said, "He runs the Crime Scene Unit for a police department there these days."
Nick chuckled. "Heh", he replied, "That sounds like Conrad. Good for him. Who stepped in as your new Sheriff?"
"Remember Sofia Curtis?" Morgan inquired.
"Definitely", Nick replied, "Who could forget her?"
"Well," Morgan said, "There's your answer. She's 'Sheriff Curtis' now as of a little while ago."
"Cool", Nick replied, "She was a hell of a CSI for us in Vegas, but admittedly, I think she enjoyed being a cop just as much. She was always good at navigating the politics."
"Yeah", Morgan dryly replied, "My dad taught her well."
Nick's cell phone rang from the hands-free device on which it was mounted, and as such, he pressed a phone receiver icon button beside his steering wheel to answer. "Stokes", he said.
"Hey Nick", Detective Valdez replied, "It's Rena. Where are we meeting the sheriffs and the Marshals?"
"Our point people are Sergeant Cole Jameson with the San Diego County Sheriff", Nick explained, "And also a Deputy US Marshal named Ryan Alders. He's with the West Coast Fugitive Task Force. He and his team will be backing us up. We're meeting them at the Anza Borrego State Park. Isaac Serain's trailer is supposedly somewhere near there."
"Okay", Valdez said, "Got it. Also, I was just curious. When's the last time that you CSIs had the chance to handle any sort of tactical situation?"
Morgan then piped up from the backseat. "I can't imagine that they give us guns for the fashion statement", she acerbically said.
Everyone heard Detective Valdez laugh in response to the CSI's smart-alecky comment. "Well," Valdez replied, "I suppose not. I'll see you guys at the park."
"Great", Nick said, "Thanks Rena." He then ended the call before briefly turning his head to look at Morgan. "You're still that same spitfire I remember", he said to her before flashing a charismatic smile.
Anza Borrego State Park
3:30 PM
Roughly an hour later, the San Diego and Las Vegas CSIs pulled into the parking lot of the Anza Borrego State Park near the Northern California city of Borrego Springs.
All four of them exited the Yukon to find four unmarked black Chevrolet Tahoe SUVs parked beside one another as well as a marked Ford Crown Victoria which they all recognized as a San Diego Sheriff's Department patrol car. Roughly five people, three men and two women clad in US Marshal windbreakers, stood beside the first Tahoe in wait for their colleagues. At the forefront of this group was a tall well-built bald white man who was dressed in a tan San Diego County Sheriff's uniform.
"Mister Stokes?" the deputy inquired.
"Yes sir", Nick replied as he politely extended a hand to him.
The uniformed deputy reciprocated with a firm handshake. "Sergeant Cole Jameson with San Diego County", he said, "It's nice to make your acquaintance in person."
"Likewise, Sergeant" Nick replied before gesturing behind him to his fellow CSIs. "This is CSI Kyle Ellis", he continued, "He works with me at the San Diego PD lab. These other ladies are CSIs Bobbi Flannery and Morgan Brody with the Las Vegas Crime Lab, and Detective Rena Valdez with San Diego PD."
Jameson nodded. "Nice to meet you all as well", he said before waving over a tall and athletically-built white man with very short dark hair who appeared to be in his late 30's. "This is Deputy US Marshal Ryan Alders", Jameson continued, "He's with the West Coast Fugitive Task Force. Ryan, this is Nick Stokes. He's the Director of San Diego PD's crime lab."
The two men repeated the cordial gestures and Nick repeated the equally pleasant introductions of his female colleagues for the Marshal.
Alders then organized his own team members, at which point everyone congregated around Jameson's patrol car and the head Marshal laid out a large map and copies of Isaac Matthew Serain's mugshot profile across the hood of the vehicle.
"We believe that your fugitive is crashing at a double-wide mobile home not far from here", Alders began explaining as he pointed a finger at the outline of a mobile home that was approximately three or so miles from their current location.
"And Nick tells us that this mobile home was actually a former address for Isaac Serain", Morgan said, "Do I have that right?"
A white brunette female Marshal, who appeared to be around Morgan's own age, nodded in response. "That's correct", she replied, "Well, the place actually belonged to his late grandfather who used to reside there. He left the place to this Mister Serain in his will, but by all accounts, and appearances, the place was left to fall to crap and it's in pretty bad condition."
"How'd you guys come upon this information?" Nick asked.
"We were actually just finishing up a training exercise near here when you called me earlier", Alders explained, "So I called up Sergeant Jameson and he helped us do the background work on Serain. The mobile home wasn't hard to find at all, so we did some covert surveillance and observed a subject matching Serain's description through one of the windows."
"Do any of you guys know if any weapons on the property are accessible to Serain?" Bobbi asked.
"We're not sure at the moment", the female Marshal said, "But with Serain's past military background in mind, we should keep our weapons at the ready. You CSI folks carry sidearms, right?"
"Yes ma'am", Nick replied, "We're covered there." He then traded looks with Kyle, Bobbi, and Morgan which were all met with smirks and chuckles.
"Alright then", Alders said to the group as a whole, "Let's hit it. Nick, you, your CSIs and the detective will come in behind us as a secondary entry team. We'll handle primary entry just in case our guy is indeed packing some firepower."
"Copy that", Nick replied.
"Vests and weapons on at all times, please, guys" Alders continued, "Let's all head home uninjured and intact tonight."
The Marshals were the first to arrive at Isaac Matthew Serain's disheveled double-wide mobile home just a few blocks away from the park, with Nick, Detective Valdez, and the other CSIs coming in close behind as planned. Two Marshals disembarked from their SUV and took up positions on every side of the dwelling, just in case their suspect decided to bolt on them.
Ryan Alders and the same brunette Marshal from the briefing, Anette Winters, carefully approached the front door of the mobile home. Both of them were clad in tactical vests with "POLICE" and "US MARSHAL" emblazoned across the front, and Alders held a Benelli M4 Tactical Shotgun at the ready. Meanwhile, Nick, Valdez, and the others slowly crept up behind them, ready for anything.
Alders used his foot to pound on the bottom of the door as an impromptu form of knocking. "Isaac Matthew Serain!" he called out in a very loud and authoritative tone, "United States Marshal's Office! We have a warrant!"
A loud ruckus was then heard from inside, at which point Bobbi Flannery hurried around the side of the mobile home and joined the Marshal that was posted at the rear window. "Guys!" she hollered, "Serain's on the move!"
With that, Alders shouldered the front door open. He and Winters made a tactical entry inside the residence. However, just as they made their way in, the trailer's rear window exploded with shattered glass just before Isaac Matthew Serain's linebacker-like figure came through the window and violently collided with the young Hispanic male Marshal, nearly knocking Bobbi down as well. The Marshal had the wind knocked from him and had been badly cut by the exploding glass.
"MAN DOWN!" Bobbi yelled as she began chasing Serain out into the desert landscape surrounding the property, "I'M GOING AFTER HIM!"
The adrenalized and zealous CSI withdrew her Glock G17L handgun from her shoulder holster as she sprinted after the fleeing tall, bald Caucasian suspect. "LAS VEGAS POLICE!" Bobbi yelled, "HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!"
Bobbi continued her foot pursuit for roughly 100 more feet or so and was gaining on the suspect when the overeager and clumsy Serain suddenly tripped and fell forward, face-planting hard on the desert sand below him. She caught up to him as he got back up to his knees and raised his hands in defeated surrender, and held him at gunpoint until the others caught up to them.
However, as she struggled to catch her breath and let the adrenaline within her come down, she momentarily envisioned a young lean-figured and dark-haired teenage Hispanic boy in Serain's position. "Oh God", Bobbi nervously muttered, "Alex!"
A confused Serain scoffed in retort. "You got your wires crossed or something, lady?" he replied in a snarky tone, "Who the fuck is Alex?"
Bobbi shook her head as she tried to snap back to reality upon hearing Serain's sordid comment.
"BOBBI!" Morgan called out, breaking the tension, as she caught up to the two of them. Her Smith and Wesson M&P M2.0 handgun was in her hand, which she trained on the surrendering fugitive.
"Isaac Matthew Serain", Morgan said to Serain, "I'm CSI Morgan Brody with the Las Vegas Police Department. You're being detained on a Suspicion of Murder warrant from Clark County, Nevada. Keep your goddamn hands up and if you move, I'll give you a third eye socket."
Just then, Nick, Valdez, and the Marshals caught up, at which point the Marshals officially took custody of Serain. As everyone walked away, Morgan put a comforting hand on Bobbi's shoulder.
"Are you okay?" Morgan asked.
"I will be", Bobbi replied after nodding, "It's just bad memories."
